International Evidence On The Effects Of Having No Capital Gains Taxes

Tax distortions are likely to have encouraged excessive leveraging and other financial market problems evident in the crisis. These effects have been little explored, but are potentially macro-relevant. Taxation can result, for example, in a net subsidy to borrowing of hundreds of basis points, raising debt-equity ratios and vulnerabilities from capital inflows. This paper reviews key channels by which tax distortions can significantly affect financial markets, drawing implications for tax design once the crisis has passed.

Risks to macroeconomic stability posed by excessive private leverage are significantly amplified by tax distortions. ‘Debt bias’ (tax provisions favoring finance by debt rather than equity) has increased leverage in both the household and corporate sectors, and is now widely recognized as a significant macroeconomic concern. This paper presents new evidence of the extent of debt bias, including estimates for banks and non-bank financial institutions both before and after the global financial crisis. It presents policy options to alleviate debt bias, and assesses their effectiveness. The paper finds that thin capitalization rules restricting interest deductibility have only partially been able to address debt bias, but that an allowance for corporate equity has generally proved effective. The paper concludes that debt bias should feature prominently in countries’ tax reform plans in the coming years.

From the back cover: The papers in this ground breaking book constitute a unique collection of information about the underground economy and how it is manifested in a variety of countries. Section One attempts to measure Canada's underground economic activity and provides a specific estimate of the impact that tax changes have on its size. It also looks at the problems of tax evasion and tax avoidance. Section Two deals with the size of the underground substance economy, the legal aspects of tlhe underground economy in the United States, and an asseeement of the economic activities of the Mafia. Section Three analyzes the underground economy abroad, specifically in the United States, Britain, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Russia and China. The fourth section returns to Canada and examines some policy implications of the underground economy. A survey detailed in Section One shows that a majority of Canadians believe that they do not receive enough benefits for the taxation they pay. Section Four offers a solution to the problem of tax evasion and underground economic activity; the adoption of user fees and user taxes.

This 2015 OECD Economic Survey of Switzerland examines recent economic developments, policies and prospects. The special chapters cover: Policies to tame the housing cycle and Raising public spending efficiency

"The substantive scope of a tax treaty determines the extent of protection it can provide against international double taxation. Countries worldwide have adopted the text of Art. 2 ('Taxes covered') of the OECD Model Tax Conventions in their bilateral tax treaties. However, the structure and wording of Art. 2, which have remained virtually unchanged since the beginnings of tax treaty law in the 1920s, create interpetive issues and uncertainties in practical treaty application. This book not only provides in-depth analysis of recent case law and academic literature, but also sheds light on the background to the standard formulations so widely used in the provision on the substantive scope of today's tax treaties. The source documents used have rarely found their way into publications before: historical OEEC and OECD Reports and Minutes, originally largely classified as 'restricted' and thus inaccessible to the public for decades, provide an insight into the drafting process of Art. 2 and the discussions of Delegates from various nations on practical implications for treaty application. The book offers a unique perspective on this core treaty provision and aims to provide guidance for determing the 'taxes covered' in any tax treaty"--Page 4 of cover.

This paper examines the macroeconomic effects of tax changes during fiscal consolidations. We build a new narrative dataset of tax changes during fiscal consolidation years, containing detailed information on the expected revenue impact, motivation, and announcement and implementation dates of nearly 2,500 tax measures across 10 OECD countries. We analyze the macroeconomic impact of tax changes, distinguishing between tax rate and tax base changes, and further separating between changes in personal income, corporate income, and value added tax. Our results suggest that base broadening during fiscal consolidations leads to smaller output and employment declines compared to rate hikes, even when distinguishing between tax types.